The Indian hockey team won 2-0 against Ireland in their third Pool B match at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Tuesday. The game was held at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh scored both goals in the first half. Harmanpreet, who is 28 years old, has scored in each of India’s three matches at Paris 2024, with a total of four goals.
With two wins and one draw, India is unbeaten and currently leads Pool B with seven points. They had previously won 3-2 against New Zealand and drawn 1-1 with Argentina.
India, ranked fifth in the world, quickly showed their strength. They got the first penalty corner within two minutes, and Sumit forced a strong save from the Irish goalie David Harte. Harmanpreet then scored the first goal with a penalty stroke.
During Match: India Vs Ireland in Paris Olympic 2024
In the second quarter, India continued to attack. Lalit Upadhyay missed a good chance, and Manpreet Singh’s shot was saved by the goalkeeper. However, after two more penalty corners, Harmanpreet scored again with a fantastic drag flick, making it his fourth goal in three matches.
Ireland, ranked 11th in the world, had their first good chance in the 21st minute, but they couldn’t score. India led 2-0 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Ireland started to play better. They stopped penalty corners from Amit Rohidas and Harmanpreet, and created chances, but Benjamin Walker, Lee Cole, and Shane O’Donoghue couldn’t score.
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In the final quarter, Ireland kept up the pressure. Cole had a penalty corner saved two minutes in, but their momentum slowed when Matthew Nelson received a green card. India’s Harmanpreet was also out for two minutes during this time.
Veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh made a great save in the 55th minute, drawing cheers from the crowd. Ireland had one last chance from a penalty corner before the final whistle, but India’s defense held strong.
Next Match against Belgium
India’s next match is against Belgium, the Tokyo 2020 gold medallists, on Thursday. They will aim to continue their unbeaten run and stay on top of Pool B.
